Pandemic
by UnhealthyGyllenhaalic
Summary: Brokeback AU. In a post-apocalyptic world, two survivors team up to stay alive and hope there's a bright end to all of this. But what are they living for? A brighter future? Love? (work in progress)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Based off the playthrough of Rust with Markiplier(YouTuber). Brokeback AU set in a post-apocalyptic world. Because those types of stories interest me. This will be different than any Brokeback story I've written or thought about but didn't write. Stick with me because this IS happening. I wracked my brain for hours to think of a good enough title for this story. "Pandemic" is kinda boring, but it was the best I could come up with. And that's sad. Not eye catching at all. At least for me. Anyvay! Let's get to the story already!

* * *

**_Journal Entry One_**

_I was nine years old when the disease broke out. Mom got sick. Dad put us through hell when she was admitted to the hospital. We knew he was just worried about Mom. We all were. Especially when more people came down with the same symptoms, crowding the small, already cramped hospital. It wasn't the common flu. The docs couldn't figure it out, but were too afraid to tell everyone that. Afraid it was cause a riot. The riot came anyway because the doctors weren't telling anyone anything. Doctors were threatened when people started dying. Some of the doctors even left town, which pissed off Dad because now there was only one doctor to take care of everyone. He was losing hope that Mom would make it through._

_We all thought she was going to for a while. She seemed to be getting better. We were able to take her home. We then found out that she had only been pretending to get out of the hospital and make her family happy. My older brother, KE, found her dead in the bedroom. Dad had been at work. One call brought him straight home, though. And, of course, he yelled at me, KE, and my sister, though we knew better than to think he actually blamed us for Mom dying. A few days later, Dad ended up sick and refused to go to the doctors. He lost faith in the doctors because they hadn't helped Mom. He shot himself in the garage before he got in too much pain._

_KE was in charge now. We left town with a bunch of other people. We listened when rumors went around that the town was cursed. Half the population was dead. Things would go back to normal if they left the town. We wanted that to be true, but of course it wasn't. People were sick everywhere we went. The government had areas quarantined. Riots went on that couldn't be stopped until more than a few people were shot down. _

_After a few months, it was starting to look like Hell on Earth. Friends turned on one another. The doctors only came up with a few developments on the disease. The symptoms: fever, body aches, nausea, sleeplessness. And in some cases: dementia. And the disease changed over time. Some symptoms left, others surfaced. It was always changing, which was why the doctors were unable to find a cure for it. They couldn't even figure out if the disease was in the air or just transferred from one person to another through DNA. Would a simple touch suffice? Or did someone have to bite/lick/kiss you? I had started to get obsessed with this even though my siblings kept telling me to leave the wonderings to the professionals. But, they weren't doing much good anyway._

_It was on my fifteenth birthday when we got separated. We had constantly been moving for the last five and a half years. KE had been looking out for all of us. Until the government raided the town we were currently in and took everyone into custody. We were taken to some facility and tested. My tests came up negative so I was let go. I didn't know what was going on or what happened to the ones that tested positive. And, frankly, I didn't _want _to know. I just hoped it wouldn't be long before KE and my sister were released. So, I never left town. But, the government picked up and left and I never saw KE and my sister again. To this day, four years after that night, I still wonder if they're still alive._

Ennis Del Mar paused in his writing, tapping his pen on the paper as he read over everything. He grimaced, remembering the night KE had suggested writing a journal about all of this. Ennis had pointed out several times that it had been a stupid idea and now here he was, writing it down as if someone might one day find it. But what good would it do? If anyone in the world was still alive, there wasn't a bright future ahead for them. The disease was always getting worse and it was only a matter of time before the lucky ones(like himself) found themselves dead. He was always preparing for that moment. He, KE, and their sister had made a pact: if they ever got sick, they were going out like Dad. Quick and easy.

It definitely beat heading for a town that still had doctors. No one went around people anymore. Everyone just shot each other dead if they saw someone. They would never find out if the person was sick or not first. They would just shoot. They wouldn't take the risk of getting sick or sicker, depending on the person. So Ennis got around by living out in the middle of nowhere, building his own shelter and finding his own food. Other people _did _come out here, but he knew how to use camouflage. And whenever he did travel, he went around towns. Never through them. KE had taught him that.

And the one night they decide to go against that because their sister had wanted an actual bed to sleep in, things went to hell and Ennis had been on his own ever since. He had never even tried looking for them because he feared the worst. And where would he have even started? Everyone ended up rebelling against the government and everything had been destroyed. Ennis no longer feared the disease. It was the people that had done the most damage. For all they knew, the disease was probably gone by now.

Ennis shut the journal when he heard a noise outside his tent. It was in the middle of the afternoon, so it might have been just a wandering animal. He slowly peeked outside anyway and froze when he saw a bear sniffing around about twenty feet from his tent. He slowly grabbed his backpack and journal, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to run away, but he wanted to be prepared. He quietly stuffed the journal into his backpack then slipped the pack on. The bear was still sniffing around, minding its own business. Did it smell him? He didn't really want to stick around here to find out. But, he didn't want to leave his tent and food because it was all he had for right now.

He made up his mind when the bear turned and looked right at him. His heart pounded in his chest when the bear let out a long, loud roar. At least he wasn't frozen in fear. He bolted out of the tent and ran away from the bear. It immediately started after him. He was in a forested area, so neither of them had an advantage. Fallen trees and foliage slowed both man and beast. He could still hear the bear behind him, but never turned to see how close or how far it actually was.

He stumbled onto a road, tripping on a stump and rolling across the asphalt a bit. Scrapes and bruises was all he suffered. He rolled over and pushed himself up and looked around, but didn't see or hear the bear. All was quiet except for the sound of the wind through the trees and his own heavy breathing. He got to his feet, brushing himself off, freezing when he heard a gunshot then some shouts. Along with the anguished howl of the bear. That could only mean one thing: people.

Ennis dashed to the other side of the road, crouching down in the bushes and hoped he was hidden enough if anyone came his way. He tried to calm his breathing when he saw someone in the trees. Looking for whatever the bear had been chasing, no doubt. Pretty soon the person was joined by a few others. A group? It was the first time he had seen anyone team up. He shifted slightly, crouching down further when the group stepped out onto the road. They looked around for a few minutes then headed back into the trees to get what they needed from the bear. Ennis waited a few minutes longer then got up and followed the road, keeping to the bushes.

Following the road was a bad idea because every road led to some town somewhere, but he had lost his tent and food and needed supplies. All he had in his backpack was a bottle of water, the journal, a set of underwear, and toilet paper. Everything else had been in the tent. _Should've just waited for the bear to move on, _he thought, annoyed with himself. If he hadn't poked his head out, the bear probably would never have noticed him. Though, that group might have come across his tent and that would have been worse than the bear.

After a few miles, Ennis stepped out of the bushes and onto the road, setting an easier pace. The sun was starting to set and he knew he needed to find shelter soon, but the idea of staying another night in the forest no longer appealed to him after that run in with the bear. There were bears and who knew what else hiding in the woods. He would honestly rather sleep in a house right now. Maybe he would be lucky enough to come across a ghost town. He had been that lucky before, even if he had still gone around it. Of course, he could never know for sure if they were ghost towns or not.

Earlier than expected, Ennis saw a town. Lights were on, but that didn't mean people were there. He slowed his pace as he neared the building, keeping a cautious eye out. No one showed themselves as he walked down the empty street. He didn't relax as he hurried over to a hotel and went in. He locked himself in one of the rooms, pulling all of the curtains closed. He locked himself in the bathroom then turned the light on. He sat down on the floor in the corner, but still didn't relax. He put his backpack to the side then took out the journal and opened it back to the first entry. _End of the day, _he wrote.

_It's these moments you start to wonder to yourself: How come I'm still here? Why am I surviving after so many people have died? I don't count myself lucky for surviving. The dead aren't too lucky either. I envy them, though. They got off easy. They didn't have to deal with all of this hell. What am I living for anyway? What's my purpose in life? Am I still here for some untold reason? What does my future hold? Am I even traveling down the right path? So far, this is what Fate has brought me._

_I'm not gonna sit here and start feeling sorry for myself. That would be the first step into the abyss. I'm not giving up. I'm gonna keep fighting. There's nothing I'm fighting for, but I AM here for a reason. I just have to find out what that is._

_Let's see what tomorrow brings._

Ennis put the journal away then curled up there on the floor and fell asleep.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Journal Entry Two_**

_I'm plagued by dreams. I wake up every night either in a cold sweat or shaking. They're mostly about those first few days after Mom got sick. And always end when we take her back home and end up dead. There's always a different way she gets killed. Sometimes she kills herself, sometimes Dad kills her, and sometimes it's just the disease that takes her. And sometimes it's me. With her lying in bed, begging me to end it. I always hesitate then find some weapon in my hand a half second later. And I always go through with it. What happens to me afterwards in those dreams? I never sleep long enough to find out._

_Those dreams always make me think about KE and our sister. They never make an appearance in my dreams. Why? I don't know. Maybe because they're no longer with me? But that doesn't make any sense. I've been plagued by these dreams for years. I find myself thinking of reasons why they're not there. Because it's just about me. How I'm dealing with things. Still doesn't explain everything, but that's the only thoughts I get._

_I had another dream last night. This time it was me and that bear in the forest. I stayed hidden in the tent and the bear just moved on. Then that group had shown up. They were after the bear. I don't know why. Then they noticed me. No questions, like always. They just shot. Woke up panting and rolled off the bed. Forgot I was sleeping in an actual bed. Hadn't done that in a LONG time._

Ennis looked up from his writing when he heard something outside. Apparently this town wasn't as empty as he thought. Unless it was just the wind. He was hoping beyond hope that it was just the wind. He put his pen down, turned off the light then crept over to the window of his hotel room. He pulled back the curtain just slightly and looked outside.

A large group of people were there, crowded around someone. She was curled up on the ground, her clothes torn. The group standing around her were the same people he had seen in the woods. They were all dressed alike. Some type of uniform? He didn't move as he watched the group beat and throw the woman around. He knew he should do something, but going out there was suicide. He couldn't fight against them. He didn't have a weapon. And they would notice him long before he got close. The woman was on her own.

He stepped away from the window, feeling guilty now. He wasn't the type of person to just abandon someone. KE had taught him that. But, of course, KE never talked about saving a complete stranger. He couldn't do anything for that woman out there and he shouldn't. He would only get himself killed. He paced back and forth, trying to convince himself _not _to do something stupid.

But, he shoved everything back in his backpack, slipped it onto his back and left the room. He headed down the stairs, slowing his pace as he walked out into the lobby. He stepped outside, staying out of sight. He rounded the corner, staying hidden, and saw the group leaving. The direction they were going was out of town and none of them looked back. He waited a moment then looked toward the area they had been. He would have thought she was dead if he hadn't heard her crying in the sudden silence of the town.

Constantly thinking to himself that this was a _bad _idea, Ennis crept out of hiding and slowly made his way over to the woman. She had her arms over her head and there was blood everywhere. He knelt down and gently laid a hand on her arm. She screamed, crawling away as fast as she could. Afraid that she would bring the group back, Ennis held her down, clamping a hand over her mouth. She struggled, but he didn't let go.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," he said. He had grown up in Wyoming, but he had a rough Texan accent, thanks to his parents. "If you keep screamin', you _will _get hurt 'cause those guys are gonna be back." Understanding seemed to dawn on her and she nodded. Slowly, he let go of her and moved back. She sat up slowly, taking stock of her injuries and wincing in pain with every movement.

"How come they didn't kill you?" Ennis asked, sitting down there on the pavement. It was a rather rude question, but an obvious one. He hadn't come across anyone that would leave survivors.

"I really don't care," she said then looked at him. "Can we go inside? They might come back." There was no tough exterior on her. She was scared and trembling.

Ennis got to his feet then helped her up and led her back to the hotel and into his room. He locked the door and turned on a light. She was sitting on one of the beds. He went into the bathroom and got a wet washcloth then came back and handed it out to her. She took it and started cleaning herself up. The beatings hadn't been that bad. She would be fine by tonight. Which made him wonder even more as to why they left her. He certainly wouldn't be getting an answer from her. She was just grateful they had left her alone without finishing the job.

"You're staring," she said, breaking the silence after a few minutes. "But I should be used to it."

"Why?"

"I'm sick," she said, looking at him. "And contagious." She didn't say anything when he backed off a few steps. She just looked away and went back to cleaning herself. "Maybe."

Ennis shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. There was no way they would be traveling together whether or not she was contagious. "How do you know you're sick?" he asked.

"I've got a few symptoms," she said. She stared down at the bloody, dirty rag. "Been tryin' to make myself believe it's just allergies." She shook her head. "I know better."

"You can hide out here," Ennis said, backing toward the door slowly. "They won't find you. There's enough supplies for a few days." Again, he would have to leave the food he had found around here earlier this morning, but he needed to get away from her as soon as possible.

She got up quickly, a frantic look in her eyes. "You're leaving me?" she asked, her tone whining. "Those men..." She gestured toward the window then stared down at her hands.

Ennis was torn between leaving and staying. "I ain't sick," he said. "So you should understand that I'm a bit wary right now." He wouldn't usually be so honest, but something in him had changed over the last four years.

"But you came for me."

"I didn't know-"

"You can't leave me."

And for some odd reason, Ennis felt that he really shouldn't. But he didn't want to stick around her. He knew he was going to end up staying anyway, so he told her he would stay and she relaxed, sitting back down on the bed. He didn't put his backpack down though. He would keep his valuables as close as possible. To keep her out of it and to run as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

"What's your name?" she asked after she had calmed down a bit more.

"Ennis," he replied, cautiously walking over and sitting down on the other bed. He felt highly uncomfortable and wondered when he would start regretting going out there to see if she was okay.

"My name's Alma."

"Nice to meet you," Ennis said, though didn't really mean it. She didn't catch it. She just smiled at him, laid down and closed her eyes. Ennis sighed quietly, wondering what he was going to do now.

* * *

Ennis fell asleep later that night, curled up on top of the covers on his side, still wearing his backpack. He woke up to the sound of movement, hearing the bathroom door open and close then footsteps. He opened his eyes, but it was too dark to see. He didn't move when he heard his backpack unzip then Alma started rummaging through his pack. It had to be Alma. No one else knew he was here. After a moment she zipped it back up, obviously not finding anything she wanted. He didn't move or say anything, wondering if she would just end up leaving. That was a hopeful thought.

He closed his eyes when the lights came on. He panicked inside, wanting to strangle her for giving away his position if anyone could see the light from outside. He still wasn't sure if there were people still in town and decided he wasn't going to stay another day to find out. He needed to get moving again and he needed to get away from Alma.

He opened his eyes once more when he heard the sound of a gun being loaded. He sat up quickly and turned just as Alma was aiming the gun at her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that he was awake and fired the gun at him, but he was already moving so she missed, destroying the pillow on the bed. He snatched the gun out of her hand before she could fire again and she backed up against the wall, away from him.

"You're gonna get us both killed," Ennis said, lifting the gun. He looked at it, thinking that it might come in handy sometime. He looked back at her. "Where the hell did you get this?" There was no way she had been hiding it this whole time.

"I found it," Alma said. "I went exploring around town."

Ennis' gut was telling him that this was bad. He shut off the light then walked over to the window and looked out. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean someone wasn't in the hotel right now. If there were people here, someone had followed Alma back here. He wasn't leaving town easily.

"I'm sorry," Alma said, breaking the silence.

Ennis turned away from the window. "You tried to kill me," he said. "Save the apologies." He stuffed the gun into his belt then headed over to the door, stopping when he heard her following. "You ain't comin'."

"You can't just leave me here!"

Ennis couldn't be guilted into letting her come along this time. She had tried to kill him only because she could. She would just be a burden to have around. "You're on your own," he said then opened the door and stepped out into the dark hallway.

He didn't hear anything, but he headed down the hall cautiously. He looked behind him, but didn't see Alma. He started down the stairs at a slow pace, keeping himself from making too much noise. Alone or not, he wasn't going to bring attention to himself. He headed across the lobby and out of the hotel, pausing when he heard screaming.

He hurried around the corner and looked up, seeing Alma screaming for help at one of the windows. His room. He looked away at the sound of a gunshot and silence from Alma. He hadn't run into anyone on the stairs, so someone had already been on that floor when he had left. Someone had waited around. Which meant they would be coming after him soon.

Ennis ran over to a car, sliding into the front seat. He hotwired it, knowing that brought immediate attention to himself. He shoved the car into drive then took off down the street, heading out of town. If he was lucky, he'd be long gone before anyone knew where he had went.

His life was getting a little more stressful.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Journal Entry Three_**

_I live in this world; I gotta get used to the death. Ever since KE and sis, I haven't talked to another person, so why did I even trust Alma? I should've trusted my gut and went nowhere near her. But, I'm a nice-hearted kind of guy. But yet I still walked out on her and now she's dead. Do I feel guilty about that? It's been on my mind for the last few days. I've been constantly driving ever since that night. The only reason I'm writing now is because the car ran out of gas. I'm on some highway in the middle of nowhere. No one around here, at least._

_Back on subject. I don't feel guilty about what happened with Alma. She was going to kill me. I kinda feel guilty for not being guilty. I'm not cold-hearted. Hell, I can't even be rude on purpose without feeling bad about it. It's not the way I was raised. It's just the way I am. So why don't I feel guilty about Alma? She's dead now because of me. If I had stayed, I could've saved her. Or ended up dead myself._

Ennis stopped his writing when he heard a noise. He was curled up in the trunk of the car, the trunk half open. He shut off his flashlight and stuffed it and his journal into his backpack. He laid there still, listening. The noise came again and it sounded like someone was filling the car up with gas. He was tempted to pull the trunk closed the rest of the way, but that would only trap him in here. He couldn't jump out. That would alert whoever was outside and he would end up dead.

The noise stopped after a couple of minutes then there was the creak of the door opening. Ennis froze when the car started up. He shifted slightly, prepared to jump out of the trunk the second the car started moving. His heart was pounding in anticipation then sucked in a breath when the trunk was pushed closed. He hugged the backpack to himself, taking slow, deep breaths to keep himself from panicking. The car started moving and he knew he was in big trouble.

* * *

Ennis couldn't keep track of how long they had been moving. He had drifted off a few times only to be shaken awake whenever the car drove over a bump or swerved a little too fast. The driver wasn't trying to be careful and was kind of a maniac. For all he knew, the driver was probably someone sick. He placed his hands on the roof of the trunk and pushed, knowing it wouldn't do anything, but he was desperate.

He froze in that position when the car slowed to a stop. He pulled his hands back and grabbed his backpack when the car was turned off and the driver got out. Part of Ennis just wanted the driver to walk away and part of him wanted the driver to open the trunk so he wasn't stuck here.

He got what part of himself wanted. There was a click then the trunk was pulled open all of the way._  
_

Ennis was out of the trunk in an instant, knocking the man to the ground. Ennis fell to the pavement in the process, scuffing himself up pretty good, but he managed to get up faster than the other guy. The man was still in shock from finding someone in the trunk. Ennis ran forward and then stopped for a reason he didn't even know. He looked around, but had no idea where he was. That wasn't new, though. He hadn't known where he was for a long time. He was just going. No destination in mind.

"Since you're runnin'," the guy said behind him. Ennis turned around and saw him close the trunk then dust himself off. He looked to be around Ennis' age with dark hair and blue eyes. "I got nothin' to worry about."

Ennis remembered the gun that he had stuffed into his backpack before he had climbed into the trunk in the first place. He didn't know if he should go for it or not. The guy wasn't threatening him. KE had told him there was no one left to trust, so Ennis wouldn't know a friendly if he ever saw one. This guy might be it, but he also had started to think that about Alma. And she had pulled a gun out on him while he was sleeping.

"Where ya headed?" the guy asked, turning toward Ennis and leaning against the car. He crossed his arms with a slight smirk. "I guess wherever I was headed, huh?" He gave a small chuckle, perfectly at ease with the situation.

"I was headin' nowhere," Ennis said a bit warily. He looked down at his backpack, thinking of how fast he could open it, dig through, and pull out the gun on the first try. "Been headin' that way for a while now."

"All you do is hide in a trunk of a car?" the guy asked. It sounded like a joke.

"I actually used that car til it ran outta gas," Ennis said. Why was he starting to become more comfortable around this guy? This might just be a ploy. Pull him in and then kill him. He had never heard of that before, but he had cut himself off from the world essentially. "And then you stole it."

"Do you want it back?"

Ennis looked at the car then shook his head. "I'd rather walk," he said. He had only used the car out of desperation.

The guy pushed away from the car and walked over to Ennis, holding his hand out. "I'm Jack Twist," he introduced himself.

Ennis couldn't move. He just stared at Jack's hand for a bit then looked back up. "Ennis," he replied, finding his voice. "Del Mar."

Jack held his hand out for a moment longer then lowered it when he obviously realized Ennis wasn't going to shake it. "Nice to meet you," he said. He turned and walked back over to the car, not seeing Ennis visibly relax. "You do know that walkin' ain't the safest thing to do, right?"

Ennis thought back to his run in with that bear and the group in the woods. "I know how to hide," he said. He had messed that up by going into a town. Something he knew he shouldn't have done.

"They'll catch up to you," Jack said, opening the trunk. He reached in and pulled out a jack and Ennis now noticed the flat tire. He knelt down and started working, his back to Ennis. "That's what they do."

"Who?" Ennis asked. If he was the type of person Alma had been, he would've pulled out the gun and shot Jack while his back was still turned. He didn't think he'd ever use the gun on a person.

Jack looked over his shoulder at him. "The new government," he said. "They've been runnin' around, gunnin' down sick people." He shook his head as he put his eyes back on the tire. "They put themselves in power because everyone's scared of 'em. They don't do anything to see whether or not you're sick. There's just a select few that get to keep livin'."

"How do you know so much?"

Jack got the tire off then looked over at Ennis. "I've been around," he said. "You hear things when you pass through some towns." He stood and went back over to the trunk, looked in then looked up under the car then cursed under his breath. "What kinda car don't have a spare?"

Now Ennis was just wondering if Jack had heard anything about his brother and sister, but didn't know how he could ask. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other while Jack continued murmuring about the missing spare. "You keep tabs on the government?" he asked. Was it a bad idea to hope that they could become allies? This might be his way of finding his siblings. If Jack knew anything, that is.

Jack, hands on hips, turned away from the car and looked at Ennis. "Which government?" he asked. "The one that's killin' everyone or the one that failed at findin' a cure to this?"

"Either one?"

"What do you want to know?"

"The government took my brother and sister 'round five years ago," Ennis said, feeling like he shouldn't be revealing anything. He wasn't about to trust this guy, but if he could find his family... "I haven't seen them since."

"They must have tested positive," Jack said. "The government took 'em out and killed 'em." The expression on his face instantly turned apologetic when Ennis turned and started walking away. Jack followed after him.

"Sorry," Jack said, catching up to Ennis. "I shouldn't have worded it that way, but it might be the truth, you never know! It's been five years. Can you honestly tell me you've been lookin' for them this entire time?"

"I may not be tryin' all the time, but I have tried," Ennis said, looking at Jack once before looking back forward. "Nothing ever turns up." He stopped when Jack stepped in front of him.

"What if I can help you find them?" Jack asked. Was he just saying that because what he had said had hurt Ennis' feelings? Or was it just another ploy? Ennis was afraid he'd end up dead if he allied with this guy. "I know things. I can get you in and out of places. Places that might have records on your brother and sister."

"Why help me?" Ennis asked. "I might be sick, you never know. Why put yourself in danger?"

"Who said I'm not sick, too?"

Ennis looked back at the car, but knew they wouldn't be able to take that. He looked back at Jack. "Okay, fine," he said. He held his hand out. "A truce. Make sure we don't end up killin' each other."

Jack reached out and shook his hand. "I was never plannin' on killin' you anyway," he said, but Ennis knew he couldn't really trust those words. "So what's our first move?"

"Get movin'," Ennis said then stepped around Jack and started down the road. Jack followed right beside him.

He hoped this turned out better than his brief time with Alma.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

The two of them had been walking in silence for a long time. Ennis hadn't been keeping track of the time, but the sun was coming up, so they had been walking for a few hours. He didn't really feel tired from all of that walking because he was used to it, but he heard Jack breathing heavily now. He hadn't been paying attention to anything, so now the situation he was in came crashing back onto him. He looked at Jack then suggested that they stop and rest for a while. Jack immediately nodded then walked over to a rock and sat down.

Ennis looked around them. They had been following the road, but had veered off course because Ennis didn't want to be on the road. Roads led to towns and towns meant people. And people meant certain death if they were part of the government Jack had talked about the night before. They were in the middle of some field that looked like it had once grown stalks of corn. The land was a wasteland now. He could see a farm a few miles from where they were and made a mental note to avoid that place completely.

"Hey!"

Ennis looked over at Jack when he spoke up. "What?" he asked. He got the feeling that Jack had been trying to get his attention for a while. Ennis was just so used to being alone that he lost himself in the quiet and open space. A dangerous thing to do, but he found himself doing it quite often. It would probably end up being the death of him.

"How come you're not as tired as I am?" Jack asked, still breathing heavily. He gestured back the way they came then at Ennis. "We just walked for three and a half hours and you're not even breathin' heavy!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "You're like a robot or something." He got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Do you not sleep either?"

"I've been walkin' everywhere since I was nine years old," Ennis said. He looked down and kicked at the dirt. "I'm used to it. I only get a couple of hours of sleep a night if I'm lucky." He turned and started walking again though it sounded like Jack still needed more rest.

"If you're lucky?" Jack asked, following after him. It was amazing that he wasn't complaining about how little rest he was granted. "Are you really that afraid someone's gonna find you?"

"You found me."

"I found the car."

"That I was using."

"You need rest more than anything," Jack said. "Maybe a couple of days of normalcy. When was the last time you had a shower? A _real_ meal?" He quickened his pace and stopped in front of Ennis, stopping him. "A _good _night's sleep?"

"A good night's sleep: practically never," Ennis said then stepped around Jack and continued walking. "I don't remember the last time I had a shower. I clean up in any river I come across. And what the hell is a _real _meal anyway?"

Jack hurried his pace to walk beside Ennis, pointing at the farm. "We should camp there for a while," he said, lowering his arm and looking at Ennis. "It's out in the middle of nowhere. I doubt anyone's gonna come lookin' around here for sick people." He gestured around the field they were walking through. "And it looks like they've already been here."

"They could be back."

"I doubt it."

Ennis stopped and turned to Jack, who had the confidence on his face that he had heard in his voice. "You really think we could hide out in a farm for a while without anyone noticing?" he asked.

"If things turn bad here, I know a place to go where we'll be safe forever," Jack said, not giving any more information than that. "You might not need it, but I'm tired as hell and need sleep. Plus I'm hungry." He turned and started walking, scratching at his head. "And I need a shower."

Ennis sighed, looked around once more, then followed.

* * *

**_Journal Entry Four_**

_Jack is currently upstairs taking a shower. This is the only time I've been able to sit around and write down my thoughts about what happened today. We had walked all night. Jack suggested we stay here in this farmhouse. Still not sure I can trust him. After what happened with Alma, I'll make sure I keep an eye on him. Which is probably why I know I won't be getting any sleep today. Jack'll sleep, but I won't. Not after what happened with Alma. Can't trust anyone._

_If he doesn't sleep, he's going to ask questions. He had sounded shocked when I told him how long I've gone without a good night's sleep. That has nothing to do with what's going on in the world. It has everything to do with my dad and how I was raised. He was always tough on me. I guess I'll never know the reason why unless KE can tell me. If KE's even still out there. What Jack said_

Ennis didn't finish the sentence and felt that he couldn't write any more for now. He closed the journal and put it away, hating that he was here, perfectly fine, while his brother and sister were out there somewhere, suffering from something if they were still alive. Ennis didn't want to think about them testing positive. Not after what Jack had said. The government just holding them hostage somewhere sounded better.

He turned his head when he heard footsteps and Jack came downstairs. He was dressed, but his hair was still wet. He was wearing a T-shirt that looked just the slightest bit too small for him. The jeans were snug and he wore old, worn-in cowboy boots. He had a scar on his right arm and his fingers were like the rest of him, long and lean. Ennis didn't know why he was studying him so closely and looked away quickly when Jack just glanced at him.

"You shower yet?" Jack asked, walking across the room to where Ennis was sitting. He plopped down onto the couch, which creaked under his weight. Just a slight bit of dust flew up before settling. "The shower's great. Just the right temperature and the towels-"

"I'll find out on my own," Ennis said then got to his feet and headed upstairs.

He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He set his backpack on the sink then started pulling off clothes, knowing he'd need to find someplace to wash them because taking a shower and putting on dirty clothes was dumb even though he was going to do it anyway. He climbed into the shower and turned the water on, sucking in a breath as the cold water hit his back. He adjusted the temperature and closed his eyes as he got comfortable.

After standing there for a few minutes he started washing up, seeing the water at his feet turn brown before it was washed down the drain. He hadn't realized how dirty he actually was. And how good it felt to be clean.

When he finally stepped out of the shower, he grabbed a towel quickly when he saw Jack standing there with a clean set of clothes. He wrapped the towel around his waist, noticing that Jack hadn't looked away. He took a few deep breaths, hoping he wasn't blushing from embarrassment right now.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Ennis asked, holding the towel so he didn't lose it.

Jack lifted the clothes. "Thought you could use some clothes," he said. "Found these in the bedroom. May or may not fit you, but I just figured it's better than puttin' on your dirty clothes again."

Ennis looked at the clothes and Jack set them down without a word. He reached down and gathered up the dirty clothes. Ennis didn't move a muscle or look away from Jack. "I'll get these clean," Jack said. As he turned and left, Ennis could've sworn he saw those blue eyes dart up and down Ennis' body before he was gone.

He closed the door and locked it after Jack was gone then just stood there against the door for what seemed like forever. He had never gone through something like that before. No one had ever walked in on him while he was naked. Normal people knocked before they went in. But, clearly, Jack wasn't normal. Ennis hadn't known a lot of people, but knew that Jack was different.

Ennis got dressed, glad that the clothes Jack had found fit good. He grabbed his backpack then left the bathroom and headed downstairs, hearing Jack in the back room washing clothes. He put the backpack on his back then headed toward the noise, seeing Jack washing the clothes by hand instead of using the washing machine.

"What?" Jack asked when he caught Ennis watching him. "I think it's faster than a washing machine. And I didn't think you'd want the noise bringing the attention to ourselves."

"How long are we plannin' on stayin' here?" Ennis asked.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "You're the leader," he said. "It's your call."

"Where's the place you talked about?" Ennis asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Where we can be safe forever?"

"Thought you wanted to find your siblings first."

"We're gonna end up where you say," Ennis said. He wasn't sure if KE would just want to hide for the rest of their lives, but Ennis wanted what was left of his family kept safe. "Where is it?"

"Wyoming," Jack said. "Walkin' might take a few months to get there. Not countin' goin' off course to find your brother and sister." He finished washing then hung the garments up to dry. "We need transportation."

Ennis wasn't happy about that, but knew it had to be done. It was faster. "Then we'll find a car," he said.

"But first," Jack said. "You get some sleep."

_Not happening. _But Ennis said nothing.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Journal Entry Five_**

_Jack's currently sleeping right now, stretched out on the couch while I'm on the recliner at the other side of the room. He believed me when I told him I'd try to get some sleep. I'm not going to even though I can feel that I REALLY need the rest. When was the last time I slept? As in a good, seven eight hours of sleep? KE would certainly bitch at me for doing this to my body. I can't keep going like this forever, but how can I trust Jack? I barely know him. He hasn't really given me any reason to trust him. For all I know he's working for the government and bringing in sick people to get rid of and make the world a healthier place._

_My eyes are droopy as I write this, but I have to keep alert. KE told me to always stay alert. You never know what's around the corner. Did we all just say "Screw KE's advice" when we walked into that town? If we hadn't been so tired...If we had been more alert...I wouldn't be five years on my own right now. KE and Sis would be here with me right now and we'd all be safe. Unless something else came up. Like Jack Twist, secret government agent._

Ennis paused in his writing and looked over at Jack. One arm was hanging off the edge of the couch and one leg was over the back of it. He looked really uncomfortable, but he was snoring like crazy. He had been asleep for a couple of hours already. It was close to mid-morning now. He didn't think Jack would be waking up anytime soon.

It was the perfect time to get up and leave, but Ennis needed Jack. He might not trust him, but Jack was his only tie with having any idea of what happened to his siblings. He looked back down at his journal and his sketchy handwriting. He tapped his pencil against the page, feeling like keeping a record was ridiculous. But he continued writing anyway:

_I keep thinking about the night KE and Sis-ANNIE were taken. We had snuck into a hotel and curled up in the basement. We wouldn't have been found if we hadn't've come out when we heard the screaming and horns blaring, waking people up. KE was the first out, so we followed like we always did. KE was the leader. We couldn't do anything without him. He hadn't told us to stay behind anyway. He was also the first grabbed the second he stepped out. It was right in front of us. We would've been overlooked if Annie hadn't screamed._

_That was the last time I saw them. Horrible last images for the people you love the most. I remember asking about them while I waited in some doctor's office. I dimly remember them taking blood, but all I had been thinking about was KE and Annie. If they were okay. If I would be reunited with them once these tests were over with._

_When I was released, it was with hope, I actually had a damn smile on my face as I was let go. I expected to see KE and Annie waiting outside for me. But I was alone on an empty street. I hid myself and waited for hours, but they never showed. I came out of hiding in time to see the government people packing up and heading out of town. Helicopters, armored vehicles, it was like they thought some war was going on on our home turf. _

_Where had they taken KE and Annie?_

"How long was I asleep?" Jack asked, making Ennis stop in his writing and look up. Jack was sitting up, running his fingers through his hair. He checked his watch then looked outside. He looked over at Ennis. "Sleep good?"

"Yeah," Ennis lied, closing his journal and stuffing it back into his backpack. He zipped it up then looked at Jack. "Are we done here? I'd like to get movin'. The sooner we find my family-"

"All right," Jack said, getting to his feet. "But remember what you said about a car."

Ennis stood up, slipping the backpack over his shoulders. "We'll check out the first car we come across," he said then headed for the exit.

"And we'll need to find somethin' to eat," Jack said, following Ennis outside. "I'm friggin' _starved!"_

Ennis had to admit he was also hungry. He hadn't ate in a while. That mixed with his lack of sleep wasn't healthy, but he had to keep moving. This would be different if he actually trusted Jack, but he couldn't trust anyone. He touched the gun tucked into his belt to make sure it was still there even though he hadn't taken his eyes off it.

* * *

They walked for a while until they came across a small, deserted town. They knew it was deserted because a sign had been put up that said "CLEAN" in bold, red letters. Jack told him that the government had put it up. They called themselves the "Clean Slate." Ennis and Jack raided the town, finding plenty of food and water, stuffing what they could in Ennis' backpack. What they couldn't, Jack carried in his arms and deposited it into the back of the first car they came across. Ennis slid into the driver's seat and hotwired it and they were on their way once again.

"Where's this 'Clean Slate' stationed at?" Ennis asked after a few minutes of silence. The windows were down and the breeze blowing in smelled of dust but felt good.

"They pack up and move around everywhere," Jack said. "There's not really a headquarters for them since they take everything they got with 'em. We'll just have to be lucky to come across a town-"

He was cut off when Ennis started drifting off and ran off the road, jerking awake immediately and pulling them back onto the road. Jack was gripping the dashboard tightly, a look of alarm on his face as he looked over at Ennis, who kept his eyes forward.

"Pull over," Jack said. Ennis opened his mouth to protest. "You can spin me all that bullshit that you _did _sleep, but I don't believe a friggin' word of that crap." He gestured to the side of the road. "Pull over."

Hesitantly, Ennis pulled the car over and parked. Now that he was sitting still with the car not vibrating beneath him, the lack of sleep and food was settling in. Why hadn't he ate anything they had gathered? He was holding the steering wheel, but he couldn't move.

"Ennis?" Jack's voice wasn't all that loud. There was the sound of a door opening then footsteps then his door opened and he was dragged out of the car. They both toppled to the ground outside. "Ennis!"

Then everything went black.

* * *

He woke up feeling cool air on his face. He lifted his head and looked around, seeing that he was in the backseat of the car. All the windows were down and he could feel the air conditioner running. It was night and they were driving somewhere. He also had the taste of strawberry yogurt on his tongue. He sat up, his body aching from lying in the same position for so long. His stomach growled.

"Welcome back," Jack said from the front seat. They were driving down a deserted highway. Cars were in the ditch on either side of the road. Some parked, others flipped. "That's what you get for not eating or sleeping." He handed back a pack of something and Ennis took it, seeing that it was a bag of beef jerky. He opened it and started eating.

"How long's it been?" Ennis asked, talking with food in his mouth, but he didn't care.

"You passed out yesterday morning," Jack said, causing Ennis to spew and cough in surprise. "We haven't been driving that entire time. I found a place, some doctor's office, to give you something and we stayed there a while."

"You shot me with something?"

"You're the one that was starvin' yourself!"

Ennis didn't say anything and went back to eating his jerky. He checked his backpack and saw that nothing was out of place. His gun was safely packed away in his backpack. If that wasn't a sign that said Jack wasn't going to turn against him, he didn't know what it was. Ennis had accidentally put Jack through a trust exercise without either of them knowing it.

But did that mean he should automatically distrust Jack just because Jack hadn't tried anything _this time?_

"Where we headed?" Ennis asked, scooting to the edge of the seat and looking out the front. He could see lights up ahead. "Uh, Jack...?"

"You wanted the Clean Slate," Jack said then pointed forward. "That's where you can find them. They'll be there for a few days before they move out. If we don't find your brother and sister there, we'll sure as hell find some info on 'em."

"I have a bad feelin' about this."

"No turnin' back now."

* * *

**To be continued...**


End file.
